From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishoccupyoc‧cu‧py /ˈɒkjəpaɪ $ ˈɑːk-/ ●●○W2AWL verb (occupied, occupying, occupies) [transitive]1stay in a placeLIVE SOMEWHERE to live or stay in a placeHe occupies the house without paying any rent.The building was purchased and occupied by its new owners last year.2fill time if something occupies you or your time, you are busy doing itFootball occupies most of my leisure time.occupy somebody with (doing) somethingOnly six percent of police time is occupied with criminal incidents.3fill space to fill a particular amount of space syn take upFamily photos occupied almost the entire wall.RegisterIn everyday English, people usually say that something takes up time or space rather than occupies it:Work takes up most of her time.That bed takes up almost the whole room.4control by forcePMENTER to enter a place in a large group and keep control of it, especially by militaryforce → invadean occupying armyStudents occupied Sofia University on Monday.5 →occupy somebody’s mind/thoughts/attention6use to use something such as a room, seat, or bedMany patients who are occupying hospital beds could be transferred to other places.7official positionBOPGO to have an officialposition or job syn holdBefore becoming prime minister, he had already occupied several cabinet posts. →occupied→ See Verb table